


The Red Room

by SimplexMinded



Category: The Avengers (Marvel Movies), Thor (Movies)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-01-18
Updated: 2016-01-26
Packaged: 2018-03-08 00:58:32
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Rape/Non-Con, Underage
Chapters: 6
Words: 12,772
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3189854
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SimplexMinded/pseuds/SimplexMinded
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Loki is a detective with a shady past in a small town and uncovers an underground human trafficking ring. When he finds out the Sheriff of the own in involved things get even harder. With the help of Tony Stark, Loki must bring down the ring but will he risk exposing his past and ruining his future to save the girls?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Novocane

**Author's Note:**

> This is a test chapter to see if you guys like it. if you do I will write a full chapter and flush things out.

 

The cool breeze blew past the trees, pulling the smoke from Loki’s mouth as his hand twitched with a cigarette. He exhaled, leaning back against the wooden building, one foot resting behind him the other extended outward for support.

_Detective Loki. Come in Loki._

 

Running a hand through his black hair he took one last drag from his death stick and flicked it to the side. He grabbed the radio on his hip and sighed. “This is Loki.”

 

 

_Loki we have a situation down at the station. The Sherriff requests you’re assistance._

 

“On my way.”

 

Loki pushed off the wall and walked back to his car, climbed in and made his way to the station. He lit another cigarette and fiddled with the radio before finding some random rock song trying to play through the static of the small town hills. The drive was short and soon he pulled up to the 1960’s style brick building. His legs worked on autopilot as he climbed out of the car, briefly nodded at Reid, the young brunet at the desk before walking past her straight to his boss’s office. He pushed open the door without a knock and stood in the doorway with his hands shoved in his pockets.

 

“You wanted to see me?”

 

The tall blond man behind the desk looked up with an amused smile. “One day I’m going to teach you how to knock.” His broad shoulders pulled at the fabric when he moved.

 

“I know how to Thor, I simply don’t.” Loki snorted back and shrugged his shoulders.

 

Thor sighed. “Loki…if you weren’t by brother…”

 

“What did you need Thor?” Loki cut him short with a glare. He did not want to get into this right now.

 

“I need you to escort Franklin home. He was caught vandalizing Mr. Brown’s shop again.”

 

Loki closed his eyes. “No other officer was free?”

 

Thor sat back in his chair and started to type on his computer indicating he was done with the conversation. “His house is on your way home. I thought it would be no trouble for you.”

 

Loki sighed, “You assume I was going home after work.” He looked at the young boy sitting in the chair with his head down. His dark brown hair was dusted in spay paint and his hands tainted slightly blue. “Come.”

 

The boy stood up slowly, not looking Loki in the eyes as he followed him out the door and to his car. Loki walked over, opened the passenger side door and waited for him to climb in before going over to the driver’s side to do the same. Once in the car Loki glanced over at the boy and sighed. “Frank. This has to stop.”

 

Frank was silent in the car with his head still down, playing with his hands.

 

“Frank. You can’t keep doing this. I can’t keep you out of jail forever.” Loki kept his eyes on the badly paved road as he spoke. “This path you are on never ends well.”

 

Frank glared. “You did bad stuff and ended up fine.”

 

Loki tensed up, his hands gripped the steering wheel and his face hardened. He focused on the road, his whole body tense and angry, trying not to lash out and slap the boy sitting next to him. He slowly reached down and turned up the radio, a sick flash of satisfaction when Frank flinched at his movement. Frank knew his mistake. The rest of the car ride was silent and when Loki pulled up to Frank’s house he got out of the car, opened Frank’s door and walked him up to the porch. He stood behind Frank as he knocked, waiting for Mrs. Muller to answer. A dog barked from inside the house followed by muffled shushhhing before the door swung open to reveal a tired looking woman. Mrs. Muller’s hair was pulled back in a bandana, her shirt covered in dust and her torn jeans hung loosly off her thin hips.

 

“Detective Loki what can I…” She paused, soon seeing her son’s head lower when she looked at him. “Franklin! What have you done now?” She half screamed.

 

When Frank didn’t answer Loki spoke for him. “Spray painting Mr. Brown’s shop. No charges are to be presses as long as he is out every day repainting over the damage.”

 

“You’re damn right he will.” She glared at her son and opened the door, Franklin rushing past her quickly. He was clearly eager to get out of sight. “Detective I’m so very sorry. Please tell Mr. Brown we will pay for any damages. Ever since his father left he….. I just don’t know what to do with him.” She looked down sadly, glancing at the stair Frank took inside the house. “Would you like some coffee?”

 

Loki shook his head. “No. Thank you” He turned on his heal and walked off the porch, back to his car. He heard the door shut behind him and he lit up a cigarette that hung loosely between his lips, pulling his keys out of his pocket to start the car.

 

Thunder rolled above him as he drove down the road. The skies got darker and he knew there would be a down pour within the hour. He drove faster, his fingers tapping on the gear shifter as he pulled into a hotel. Keys jingled as he unlocked the door, pulling off his jacket and hung it on the rack next to the TV. He unbuttoned his shirt, long fingers working swiftly before he tossed that to the side before sitting down on the edge of the bed.

He sighed, putting his head in his hands, his eyes closed enjoying the silence and emptiness of the room before pulling out a bag hidden under the bed. A syringe, rubber strip, a spoon, lighter and a bottle of clear liquid was laid out on the bed and he carefully poured the liquid onto the spoon before placing the lighter under it, bringing it to a boil. Using his teeth he pulled the cap off the syringe, sucked up the liquid and tossed the spoon aside. Loki groaned as he tied his arm off, the vein popping up so he could easily slide the point into the pulsing lifeline. A wave of cool relief washed over him as the heroin raced through his body. He fell back on the bed, tossing the now dirty needle aside.

His eyes fluttered and his mind floated all around him. He missed the feeling of weightlessness, the freedom, the blanket of air his body was floating on. His head rolled to the side and his mouth hung open slightly. He groaned again as his stomach lurched forward, the full effect of the drug hitting him. His chest felt heavy, his head light as air, his whole body aching to be touched. Long fingers found their way to his waist line, dipping under his pants and gripping his cock. He moaned, the drugs making the feeling so much better. His thumb rubbed the trip, hips thrusting up into his hand, his head rolling to the other side. He gripped tighter, pumping up and down before the tightness of his jeans became too much. His fingers fumbled to unbutton himself, moaning at the friction the movement was causing. When the button finally popped he sighed, his fingers instantly grabbing his now free cock. His head fluttered, half aware of his surroundings the other half seeing a skinny blond bouncing on his dick. Her breasts bouncing up and down as she played with the lips of her pussy as it sucked him in. His hand worked faster and it didn’t take long for him to cry out, cum covering his stomach and his hips thrust upwards before falling back into the bed. His mind going numb as he passed out, hand still wrapped around a now soft dick.


	2. Grand Theft Autum

 

A soft buzzing woke Loki up the next morning and he groaned, his head pounding, his body stiff and his arm sore. He sat up, ignoring the layer of cum on his stomach, holding his head for support. Slowly he made his way to the bathroom, his body aching as he turned on the water, sliding his pants off all the way and kicking them aside. He stepped in and let the warm water run over him and loosen his muscles that had tightened the previous night. He could hear his phone buzzing from the other room, no doubt Thor trying to call him into work for something trivial. He sighed, turning off the water and stepping out, a towel draped loosely around his waist, his long black hair dripping onto his chest.

 

He grabbed his phone and forced the annoyance away. “This is Loki.”

 

“Loki! Brother! Where have you been? I’ve been calling you all morning?” Thor’s voice busted through the speaker making Loki cringe.

 

“I have been asleep like a normal person.” Loki towel dried his hair while he placed the phone on speaker.

 

Thor’s voice filled the room, the sudden change in tone catching Loki off guard. “Loki there has been a murder. I need you down here right now.”

 

Loki straightened up, a soft look of shock in his eyes before his voice got dark. “Where are you?”

 

“34th Brook woods lane. 15 min walk into the woods just past old man Kane’s yard.”

 

“Im on my way.” Loki hung up the phone and threw it on the bed. He worked quickly to toss the serenge, stuffing the spoon back in the bag under the bed, taking the lighter with him. He grabbed his shirt, buttoning it up except for the top 3 buttons, grabbed his black jacket and headed out the door. His car roared to life as he tore out of the parking lot, kicking up dust as the tires attempted to get traction on the gravel road.

 

A murder was very rare in this town. Vandalism, drugs, bar fights and whores sure but murder? No. There hasn’t been a murder since…Loki shook his head refusing to think about it. He was past it. Mostly at least. He was working on the drugs. He flexed his arm, thinking about how sore it was and he had a brief flash of disappointment in himself. He swore he would stop. He promised that he would quit. He knew the risks and still he broke everything for the high. The feeling of forgetting his past. The pain, the suffering he caused, the heart break. He hated this town, hated the people, the confinement and how it made him feel trapped.

 

His car slowed down as he pulled into the lot next to Thor’s truck as well as Officer Mill’s small chevy colbolt. Loki’s car stood out among the small town vehicles although to be fair it doesn’t take much for a black 1979 Pontiac Trans Am with an ice blue fire bird on the hood to stand out. He climbed out and made his way into the woods where he knew Thor would be, wondering what shape the body would be in. The trees almost felt sad, the forrest quiet as if they knew what had happened and Loki frowned when he was Thor crouching over what looked to be a very dark skinned young girl. Her skin made darker by the mud most likely made worse by last nights rain. As he walked up to Thor he spoke, no hint of emotion in his voice. “Do we have an ID yet?”

 

Thor looked up and Loki could see how rattled he was by the look in his eyes. “No. She’s not from around here.”

 

Loki nodded. “Its possible she was dumped here but died elsewhere.” He crouched down and looked up at Officer Mills who looked just as rattled as Thor if not worse. “I need gloves, several evidence bags and a camera. This is a crime scene. Treat it like one.”

 

Mills nodded, the young brunette moving quickly to find Loki what he needed. It didn’t take long for him to come back with the requested objects and Loki spoke as he put on the gloves. “Who found her?” His hands reached out and lifted her frail wrists, noting the bruises along her arms and the state of her clothes if one could call them that. It was clear she was the object of sexual attention however it was yet to be determined weather it was unwanted or not.

 

“Some kids playing in Kane’s yard saw her. Thought it was an animal they could poke at. Called it in around 7:12 this morning.” Thor stood up, standing behind Loki as he watched the other man work. He never understood why Loki was so good at dealing with things like this or how he could simply turn off his emotions and look at things logicly. He would never admit it but he admired that in him because that was something he could never do. He was rash, brutish and to quick to judge sometimes but at the end of the day it was his emotions that made him fit to be Sherriff. Loki was cold, shut off from people, hard to read and at times Thor thought Loki enjoyed people being afraid of him. He did his job and he was good at it but outside of work Loki never spoke to anyone unless it was a direct question, he never talked about himself and never went out of his way to make friends.

 

“Well its clear she was murdered but not here. These bruises on her fore arms and hands are clearly defensive as well as the slices on her chest and collar. She put up one hell of a fight. There’s no marks on the ground, no blood on the trees, the leaves aren’t kicked up any more than normal which means whatever fighting happened, it didn’t happen here.” Loki stood up, taking off the plastic gloves and tossing them at Officer Mills. “Get her to the morgue and see if you can call in an Medical Examiner from a few towns over. Blackville has one I think.” He walked past Thor, hands in his pockets and looking around for anything else that might lead him to where this girl came from or who she was. “In the mean time, don’t let this get out. The less people to know the better. Run a search on her dental records state wide first, see if anything comes up. I’m going to head to the station and see what I can find in any Missing Persons reports.”

 

Officer Mills watched as Loki walked away and he shivered from the chill in the air. “I get why you made him a Detective but he could be a little less robotic. Its just creepy sometimes.”

 

Thor sighed, one hand resting on his hip the other hanging at his side. He watched as the officer began to lay out a tarp over the dead girl. “I know but he is my brother and he is good at what he does. Be grateful he is on our side.”

 

Mills snorted. “Sure. Our side. With all due respect Sherriff that guy would turn in a heartbeat if given a reason.” He paused for a moment as if thinking then shook his head, choosing not to say what was on his mind.

 

Thor glared as the younger man who was currently putting a stretcher for transporting the body back to the morgue. “Take care how you speak Officer.”

 

Mills tensed up and looked over at the tall blond standing over him. “Sorry.”

 

Thor nodded, walking to the other side of the girl to help Mills shift her onto the rack. “On three. One. Two. Three” They moved quickly, shifting her onto the stretcher in one fluid motion. Popping the legs up they lifted her onto the bed of a truck, strapping the sheet down to keep any unwanted debris from getting on the body. Once she was loaded onto the truck, Thor jumped in the drivers side and heaved to the morgue to meet Loki in hopes that he had found something quickly. He was sure he wasn’t the only one who wanted to know who this girl was.

 

 

 

Detective Loki

 

This is the car Loki drives because I think Loki would look bitchin driving this and its my dream car so yeah.

 

 


	3. Rain Rain Go Away

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The door swung open and a scream followed catching Loki off guard. His eyes grew wide as a young girl, no more than 19 looked up at him with wide, terrified eyes.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ok guys. This story is back on track and im pushing to keep it going. sorry for the delay!

Loki sat in the leather seat behind the computer desk, his coffee reminding him of his work. The faces. So many faces. So many people missing. Mothers, brothers, sisters, fathers. He felt like he had been staring at the faces for hours. None of the faces matched the girl’s and he was beginning to wonder if she had anyone to miss her. He sighed, rubbed his hands over his face in distress then slammed them down on the table. He was alone in the office so most of the lights were off. He looked outside, the storm clouds were hovering above the small down like a monster over a small child. “Fuck.”

 

Loki stood up, grabbing his jacket off the back of the chair and ran out the door. He needed to get to the crime scene before the sky opened up again and washed away anything the photographs might have missed. His hands slammed into the door, shoving it open as thunder crashed in the blackening sky above him. He threw the door to his car open and raced out of the parking lot, tires screeching as they tried desperately to gain traction on the gravel road. Thunder clapped again and Loki leaned over the steering wheel to look up at the sky nervously, green eyes glimmering with worry. He couldn’t fuck this up. He had done so much wrong, destroyed so many lives he had to make one right. His car fishtailed as he rounded the corner onto the dirt path that lead to the crime scene. The back ally road he was on wasn’t meant for a car like his going at the speed he was driving and he struggled to stay on the road. Finally he reached the edge of the woods and he slammed on the breaks, throwing himself out of the car before it had even come to a full stop. His car make a grinding sound as he threw it in park, slamming the door shut and running toward the crime scene. His feet moved as fast as they could and when he finally reached his destination he almost skidded to a halt in the leaves. Thunder rolled again and Loki looked up at the sky, racing against the storm to find all he could. He ran his hand through his hair, eyes scanning the area. There had to be tracks, even a fully grown man would have left some kind of tracks as the weight of a dead body would have made him slide his feet some. Loki just had to find them.

He walked over the spot the girl was found, crouching down and looking at everything. Brown leaves were slightly over turned, some from wind but he noted the leaves fell awkwardly around where the girl was placed. He could see where Thor and Mills lifted her up and carried her out. He shifted on his heels to face the other direction. If they carried her out, the killer would have most likely come from the opposite direction to drop her off since he saw no marks on his way in. he stood up, eyes cast down at the ground following all directions leading from the drop site. He circled the area twice before seeing what he was looking for. The leaves were placed naturally but there was a small placement of displaced mud that isn’t anywhere else. He ran over to the spot, shifting the leaves to expose no mud under them which ment the mud was from whoever dropped the body. Thunder crashed again and this time lighting followed lighting up the sky. Loki looked up quickly before looking back down at the ground, trying to find more of a trail. He walked around until he found more leaves, this time they were kicked up. He followed them as far as he could into the woods until he came to a bank. Loki pulled out his cellphone, dropping a pin on his maps app then shoved it back in his pocket. He looked up and down the bank seeing no sign of foot prints or any recent life in the area. He felt water hit his skin and clenched his fists. “Not now.” he ran his hands through his hair again and spun around, looking everywhere he could trying to find anything he could. He got this far. He would get farther. The stream went down and he knew what was south of it but he didn’t know what was north so he started walking. Even if the rain came, he could still follow the river to see where it lead him.

Thunder rolled and the sky opened soaking him to the bone. Loki kept walking, his hair sticking to his face, his shoes dredging through mud very quickly becoming covered. His jacked did nothing but absorb the water as he marched forward in search of anything. The sky lit up, thundering and lighting fighting each other for control of the sky like two gods fighting for the throne. He walked for what seemed like hours, water rolling down his face, his eyelashes acting as umbrellas catching the rain. His body shivered and he tucked his head down to walk under a branch, his body freezing as he saw a small rundown shed. Branches and vines covered the siding it, windows were blacked out and the foundation looked as if it was falling into the river. The only reason Loki believed it to not be abandoned was the roof looked recently patched. He immediately ducked and drew his gun from his hip, keeping the weapon low to the ground but ready to fire. He moved in slowly, keeping close to the ground and he soon was up against the wall, lifting his head to peak into the window but cursed when it was too blacked to see though. “Son of a fuck.” He made his way to the front porch, back to the wall as he slowly opened the door. The leather of his jacked squished around and the wooden boards creaked under his mud covered shoes as he slowly entered the shack. It was dark and he grabbed flashlight, shining it on the ground but held it in one hand under his gun. The house was small so he knew he wouldn’t have to clear many rooms, 2 at most. He moved as quietly as he could through the shack, the first door that faced him he quietly opened and cleared quickly. The only thing in it was an empty bathroom with what looked like a broken toilet and a cracked sink. There was a door opposite to the bathroom that was the only other door that he could see so he walked quietly, steady hand on the rusted door knob as he turned, bracing himself for whatever he would find.

The door swung open and a scream followed catching Loki off guard. His eyes grew wide as a young girl, no more than 19 looked up at him with wide, terrified eyes. “Please. Oh god please no. please!” She whimpered, her body curling in on itself as she tried to cower further into the corner. Her blond hair was matted and dirty, her body battered and bruised and her hands were chained together to a peg in the wall. From what Loki could see she was wearing nothing but torn underwear, her breasts fully exposed.

Loki instantly lowered his gun and holstered it to his side. He raised his hands in a passive way, and spoke softly trying to calm the frantic girl down. “Shhhh hey, hey, hey its ok. Im not here to hurt you.” He walked closer, hands still up, eyes wide trying to look as harmless as possible. “My name is Detective Loki and I work for the police department in Loudon County that’s just up the road. What is your name?”

 

The girl burred her face in the wall still frantic “No please no. Not again. I won’t say anything. I won’t I swear just not again.”

 

Loki’s eyes hardened as he saw the blood between her legs as she curled away from him. “Who did this to you?” he crouched in front of her, hands in front of him so she could see them. He knew what she was doing here, he knew what had been done and he wanted nothing more than to get her out. He had seen this before. “You don’t trust me. I wouldn’t trust me either but im here to help. Im going to get you out of here ok? You are safe.” Loki leaned over, keeping his eyes locked on hers. He moved slowly, hands reaching for the chains. There was no way he could break them but he knew he could rip the peg out of the wall. His fingers gripped the peg and in one quick yank, pulled the whole thing out making the girl scream and scramble to get way. He grabbed her around the waist and pinned her back to his chest. She kicked and screamed, thrashing around in his arms but her body was so frail it felt more like a doll in the jaws of a shark. He held her there until she exhausted herself, her face covered in dirt and tears. She soon fell limp in his arms, her body shaking and she whimpered begging him to leave her alone. His grip loosened and he turned her around to make her face him. His face was stern, eyes hard. “I’m not going to hurt you. Now I’m going to let you go and I’m going to give you my jacket. Don’t run. You won’t get very far.” She nodded, eyes cast down and her body shaking. He pulled back sliding his jacket off of him and placing it over her shoulders. “Come on. Let’s get you out of here ok?” he could tell her mind had withdrawn and her body was moving on autopilot. He wondered if she was actually hearing anything he was saying. He led her out of the shack but looked down at her bare feet and frowned. The walk was long and he didn’t need her hurting herself any more than she already was. He looked at her and sighed. “I’m going to pick you up. Don’t scream.” He bent down and lifted her up bridal style and held tight, ready for her to kick and scream but she didn’t. The rain continued and he relaxed as he realized she was completely withdrawn into her own mind. She wasn’t going to do a thing. He ducked his head and stepped of the porch making his way back to the car as fast as he could.


	4. Salt in the Sea

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> For all his lies the liar favored the truth.

Loki sat in his living room with a cup of coffee in his hand and a computer on his lap. His back hurt from being hunched over a desk and his hair dripped in his face from the rain. After he made his way out of the woods he had brought the girl back to his apartment. The abandoned shack hadn’t been too far from the town and he didn’t trust anyone enough to tell them he had found it. He wanted to keep her hidden for now. For all he knew it was someone within the town and so he knew it was best to not say anything and just watch how it played out.

He looked over at the sleeping girl next to him on his couch and frowned. She dint look any more than 19, her hair was a muddied mess atop her head but it was the bruises on her skin that caught his attention. Her pale skin was scared up and down her arms, her frail legs had bruises in the shape of fingers. He had taken a rag and cleaned most of the blood off of her and put one of his shirts on her to cover her chest. Somewhere along the way home she had passed out and Loki was waiting for her to wake up. He watched her breathing for a moment and sighed. He shouldn’t hide her from Thor. Thor was an oaf but a good man at heart and a much better people person than he was. Thor could gain her trust while he would most likely snap at her and be too harsh. He turned the thoughts over in his head as he kept watching the missing person’s faces run across the screen. Thor would know what to do but he wouldn’t understand. Loki knew her pain. He knew the road ahead of her all too well. He flexed his arm subconsciously the thought of the high running through his mind. He shook his head and stood up, walking into the kitchen and grabbing a pack of ground beef from the fridge. He could at least make dinner for her when she woke up. He had no doubt she would be hungry.

 

 

The whole world was spinning and it felt like she had been staring at the sun for half a day when she tried to open her eyes. She cried out as she tried to sit up. It felt like a knife was being shoved under her rib cage and her head felt like it had been smashed over and over again with a rock. Where was she? Her heart pounded when she realized she wasn’t chained to the wall in the dark room anymore. Was she sold? What she going to die? What was happening? She brought her hand up to her head and tried to remember how she got here. She remembered the man in the mask. She remembered his visit and cringed. She remembered pain and fear. She remembered screaming and she remembered the feel of his hands on her body. The thrusts between her legs. She remembered everything she so desperately wanted to forget.

She looked around at everything, eyes wide and body shaking. The couch she was on was black leather. Her body was covered in a man’s shirt, her legs in pants and wrapped in a blanket. The walls were white, the room decorated minimally with a large TV, black curtains draped over the windows and several books on the shelf. There was a glass coffee table in the center of the room with black coasters and an ash tray in the center. A computer set open with some program running faces quickly across the screen. She tried to remember more about the shack as she looked around the room. She remembered another man after the man with the mask. He was tall, dark hair and striking green eyes. He didn’t seem to hurt her. She strained her mind, trying to remember a name. He told her his name but she couldn’t remember what he said. Had taken her out of the shack?

A noise in the kitchen had pulled her from her thoughts and her whole body recoiled. She curled into a ball, eyes sharp and arms wrapped around her legs. She waited, her eyes locked on the door unsure of what would happen next.

 

 

Loki finished making the spaghetti and threw it on a plate. He grabbed a beer from the fridge and cursed when he dropped his fork on the floor. The sound echoed and he growled, slamming his beer down and tossing the down dirty utensil in the sink. He grabbed another one from the drawer to his left, throwing it on his plate and using his back to open the door. When he turned around he stopped in his tracks. The girl was curled up on the end of the couch, her arms wrapped around her knees and her eyes wide. She wasn’t running. That was good at least. He walked at a slightly slower pace, cautious but lax in his posture. “You’re awake.”

 

He sat his food and beer on the table then sat down on the couch, noting how her whole body tensed even more and her eyes looked him up and down, assessing him. “Are you hungry?”

 

When she didn’t respond he shrugged. “My name is Loki. I’m a detective for Loudon County. I won’t ask what happened because I think the state you were in when I found you made that pretty clear. Do you know your name?”

 

Her eyes dropped and she shifted her arms slightly but didn’t respond. It was clear she was scared.

 

“I can keep running this program to find you in the missing person’s data base or you could just tell me your name. You’re choice.”

 

She kept her eyes down, her head tucked into her knees and she mumbled “my….choice…”

 

Loki looked down at his plate of food and picked it up, handing it to her. “Here. Eat.”

 

She slowly uncurled herself and took the food from him. Once it was in her lap she scarfed it down within seconds. Her stomach screamed at her and it felt like a knot soaked in water. She felt her body relax as it settled in her stomach and her mouth felt dry, her teeth grungy and she was sure she smelt bad. She eyed Loki up and down, assessing his intentions. He said he was a detective. His posture was lax, almost calming and his body was lean but muscular. His jaw was set tightly, his eyes a sharp green filled with a mixture of worry hidden by a wall of distrust. He looked conflicted. Like he wanted to help her but he also wanted to walk away and leave her on the door step of a stranger. “Harley.”

 

Loki looked over at her and nodded. “Well. It’s a start. Do you have a last name Harley?”

 

Harley shook her head and looked down. She played with her hands, trying to become as small as possible. “What….what are you going to do with me?”

 

Loki shrugged, standing up and walking back into the kitchen to get another plate of food. “No idea. I _should_ take to the station, log you in, get you checked out and send you on your way. Truthfully you’re not my problem but something tells me you won’t be safe there and the last thing this town needs is another body. So…” Loki took a sip of his beer and leaned against the door frame and shoved one hand in his pocket. “For now you will stay here. You don’t go out and no one comes in. We will keep you quite for now and see what comes of you being missing from your _previous location_.” He pushed off the wall and sat back down on the couch, finishing off his beer. “What can you tell me about your previous tenants?”

 

Harley cringed, folding herself into a ball and closing her eyes. She shook her and fought the tears away. She shouldn’t ignore him. She shouldn’t disobey. Things were easier when she obeyed. “I….I don’t know.”

 

“Don’t lie Harley. I don’t like liars.” Loki’s voice lowered and he glared at her. Didn’t she see he was trying to help?

 

She flinched, eyes shut tight. “I’m sorry sir.” Her toes curled in and she tucked her head away. “I stopped counting after a while. I don’t know how many. They wore masks. I never saw a face.” Tears streamed down her face and she sniffed, rubbing her nose on her knees. “The blond one. He was so brutish. He made me….he…he shared me.” She sobbed loudly, her whole body shaking.

 

Loki looked over at the girl with softening eyes. “It’s over. You are safe here. I’m the best at what I do but what I do isn’t always nice.” He stood up, taking his and her plate to the kitchen and dropped it in the sink. He grabbed a blanket and a pillow from his closet and handed it to Harley. “Get some sleep.”

 

He watched as Harley eyed him before taking the blanket and wrapping herself in it, tucking the pillow behind her but never relaxed. He imagined she wouldn’t relax for a while. Even in her sleep she would be tense, always on edge, always looking over her shoulder never completely safe.

He flipped a switch on the wall and left the room, pulling his shirt over his head and tossing it into the corner. He stepped out of his sweatpants and stood in front of the mirror in nothing but is boxers. His skin was pale, his chest clear of hair but raked with scars. 3 gashes drug across his ribs, burns were blotched on his shoulder, claw marks tainted his skin right above his left hip. The years of abuse, of fights, of torture were plain to see along his body. His history etched into his pale skin.

 

_He stumbled into the filthy room, bottle in one hand and a knife in the other. A sick grin rested on his face as he eyed the man tied to a chair in the middle of the room. The man’s face was scared, his eye ripped from his skull and his teeth a pile of blood in his lap. The man was all but dead, his head hung low, his arms pulled from their sockets. “Like a rat caught in a trap.”_

_Loki stood infront of the dying man, his grin wide and his eyes dark. “A rat.” He raised the knife to the man’s throat. “Rats get exterminated.”_

_The man whimpered but didn’t lift his head. Loki was sure he couldn’t if he wanted to. “You see. The thing about rats is they always come back. They smell warmth and food, they dig their way in and destroy everything they touch. Simply killing the rat doesn’t solve the problem. You have to find the nest and burn it. Tell me Abe.” Loki leaned in close, his breath resting on the man’s severed ear. “Where is the nest?”_

_The man’s head hung low and made no motion to respond. Loki chuckled, digging the knife into the man’s cheek and grinned when he cried out. “You won’t walk out of this alive. Tell me where the nest is and I’ll end your pain. You die either way.”_

_The man strained to lift his head, his good eye held misery and fear. Blood dripped from his mouth and he coughed as he tried to speak. Loki grabbed his chin, raising his face to look at him. The man choked, blood spurting from his pulled teeth. “A...a...anth...ony.” He coughed again. “The nest is Anthony. Please…”_

_Loki twisted the knife, jamming it into the man’s missing eye socket. His head thrust back and his whole body went limp. “Painless. Was that so hard?”_

 

 

Loki shook his head at the memory and stepped away from the mirror. He remembered that monster. The monster that he was. The monster that he still is. He can feel it twisting and turning like a serpent in his chest. He’s a murderer. He’s dark and twisted and beyond all hope but he had to blend in. He knew he would never be like them. He would never be able to see the world through innocent eyes but he preferred it that way. For all his lies the liar favored the truth. He favored the truth because he could control it. He could twist it and warp it into anything. He would never be a hero but that didn’t mean he had to be a villain. Loki laid in bed, one arm tucked behind his head and he slowly let sleep take him, letting all the events of today wash away until his mind was as numb as his scars.


	5. Help Is On The Way

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Loki leaned against the counter, his hands behind him and the phone to his ear. “I have lines Thor. Stark crossed them. I’ll let you know if I find anything else.” Loki hung up, throwing his phone to the other side of the kitchen and resting his head in his hands.

Loki woke up the next morning to his phone ringing. His hand grabbed the nonsensical device and pressed it to his ear, rolling on his back and throwing his arm over his eyes. “This is Loki.”

 

His brother’s voice filled his ear and he cringed. “Loki! Where are you?”

 

“Where do you think Thor?”

 

“Loki, Stark is back in town.”

 

Loki sat up quickly, throwing the covers off of him “What?”

 

“His car was spotted on the outskirts of town but no one has seen him since. Loki _please_ tell me you have nothing to do with this. You told me he was dead.”

 

“He was.” He opened his door and walked down the hall and into the kitchen to make a cup of coffee. “Are you sure it’s him?”

 

“I saw him with my own two eyes Loki. How is this possible?”

 

“This wasn’t me Thor. I watched him drown.”

 

“I want to believe you Loki.”

 

Loki leaned against the counter, his hands behind him and the phone to his ear. “I have lines Thor. Stark crossed them. I’ll let you know if I find anything else.” Loki hung up, throwing his phone to the other side of the kitchen and resting his head in his hands. Shit was catching up. It was happening all over again and he couldn’t stop it. If Stark was back who else was? Was Stark back in the game? Was there a new player in town? The last time Loki saw Tony he was standing on the edge of a boat, a bottle of whisky in his hand telling him about how he was out and he wanted to take Loki with him. He spun a story about how they could run, fall off the face of the earth.

 

_“Come with me Lokes.” Tony smiled, looking at him from over the rim of his whisky glass. His light brown eyes held hope and amusement._

_Loki opened his mouth to speak but closed it, his mind running a thousand miles an hour. Escape? He had loyalties. He had lines. His feeling about the man in front of him were so mixed up. He didn’t know what he felt or what he wanted to feel. Did he even want to feel at all? It was sex. That’s all it was when he walked into the ring. He had tracked Tony down after some tortured soul gave his name away. He tracked down the rat but for some reason he opted out of killing him. Keep him alive. Use him as a pawn. Find other rats. That’s all it was. He stepped forward, standing inches from Tony, eyes set and serious. “Tony you dealt to the Krypts.”_

_“Krypts, Bloods its all the same! Blood thirsty, uncivilized vermin.” Tony waived his hands in the air dramatically completely disregarding how tense Loki’s body was and the dead stare he was recieving. “I’m a dealer. Its what I do!”_

_“You got yourself into your own shit double dealing and now you have to have the FBI bail you out!” Loki glared, rage filling his chest._

_“And they will take the whole place down! Don’t go down with them! Get out now! Get out now and you won’t go down for all this!” Tony smiled, wrapping his arms around Loki’s waist and nudging him in the neck with his nose. “Just walk away babe. Start over.”_

_Loki pushed Tony back. “You’re wrong Tony. No one is going down but you.” He reached into his holster and pulled out a small 22 hand gun and held it to Tony’s chest. Tony’s eyes grew wide, his smile falling like a mirror shattering on the floor. “You’ve been a distraction. A good fuck but your use to me has ended.”_

_Tony stepped backwards, hands in the air. “Loki come on. You don’t have to do this. You have your own mind.” His heal hung off the edge of the boat and he looked down at the crashing waves below. “Loki..please..”_

_A gun shot rung loudly in the air and Loki’s eyes grew wide as he watched Tony fall backwards into the dark waters. His face filled with shock and his blood mixing with the froth against the waves. The last thing Loki saw was Tony’s face fading into the dark abyss._

 

 

  
“Tony….” His coffee machine beeped breaking him from his thoughts and he pushed himself off the counter with his hips. Tony was a long time ago and he was over it. Loki had told Thor about that night but he never went into details. Thor never knew Loki and Tony were more than co-workers and he didn’t intend for him to find out either. His long fingers wrapped around the coffee mug and he made his way into the living room to find Harley still sleeping on the couch. Her dirty blond hair sprawled out on the pillow, her pale face resting peacefully, breath going in and out smoothly like she didn’t have a care in the world. He smiled slightly, setting the coffee down on the table and crouching next to her to shake her lightly. “Harley.”

 

Her eyes shot open and her whole body lurched forward, hands going towards her chest and she looked like a deer in the headlights. “I’m sorry…Im sorry I…” Her breathing slowed as she came back down to reality. “Detective Loki….”

 

Loki stood up and handed her the cup of coffee. “Here.” She looked at the cup briefly then took it in her frail hands. He watched as she took a sip of it and her body relaxed as the caffeine flowed through her. “I need to know something Harley.” She looked up at him in confusion and he continued not giving her the chance to speak. “If I show you a picture would you tell me if you recognize the man in the photo?”

 

She looked down at the coffee, taking another sip and thinking the question over. “Yes…”

 

Loki nodded, reaching over and opening the laptop, pulling up a photo of a man he never wanted to think about again. He shifted the screen so she could see and he watched her face for any sign of recognition. He needed to know if Tony had something to do with this girl’s rape. Never did he imagine Tony would cross that line but he had to be sure. He had to know if Tony was a part of whatever was happing in Loudun County. The girl leaned in, studding the man’s features but never cringed. “I don’t recognize him. Who is he?” She looked up curious then back at the photo. “Does he have something to do with….” Her eyes cast back down and away from him, retreating back into her shell.

He pulled the computer away, his body relaxing. So Tony wasn’t apart of whatever was happening or if he was he was never there with her. What was he doing back in town? More importantly how did he survive? “His name is Tony Stark and I don’t know.”

 

Harley watched Loki’s face and a thought dawned on her. “You know him…”

 

Loki shook his head, closing the laptop. “I used to. Look, Harley. If you see him stay away from him. He’s dangerous.”

 

Harley looked down at her coffee, her voice soft. “I get the feeling you are too. Normal people don’t have scars like that.”

 

Loki looked over at the girl curled up on his couch then down at his still shirtless torso. The scars were like a neon sign on a dark night, raised and pink against his pale skin. How he hated them. He wanted to claw his own skin off and burn it. His voice was low, his eyes dark. “I am the monster you’re parents told you about at night. Believe me Harley. I am very dangerous.”

 

Harley shivered, legs tucked underneath her. “Then how can I trust you? How do I know…”

 

Loki turned so his whole torso was facing her, his eyes low, face stern and she shivered at the look. It was like she was looking into the eyes of a monster. “Trust my rage. I have done many things in my past. Things I am not proud of but these _men_ that did this to you…..I am not among them. Even monsters have morals.” He stood up without another word and walked to his bedroom. He threw on a tight black t-shirt that clung to the contours of his chest and black khakis. He shoved his phone in his pocket, wrapped a grey scarf around his neck, pulled on his leather jacket and walked back out into the living room. Harley still sat on the couch, her empty coffee cup in her hands and her eyes staring off into space. “Stay here. Don’t answer the door. You don’t exist.” He grabbed his keys and walked out, slamming the door before she had a chance to respond. His long fingers gracefully pulled a cigarette from his pocket and he lit it, closing his eyes and taking a drag. What the fuck was he thinking? Taking in this girl like he cared about her. He felt sorry for her but would he mourn her death if she died? No. He would be disappointed in himself that he let her die but her actual death he couldn’t care less about. He shoved his hands in his pockets, drawing from the lit cigarette that hug in the corner of his mouth.

 

“Is that all you smoke now a days?”

 

Loki spun around, his hands reaching for his gun but didn’t draw it out. “Stark.”

 

Tony stood behind him, leaning against the wall in a Black Sabbath t-shirt and dark jeans and Loki noticed a strange light at the center of his chest. “Aww is that really how you say hi to an old friend?”

 

“You’re not a friend. You never were.”

 

“I gathered that when you shot me on my yacht. A dreamer can dream though.” Tony eyed him with playful eyes.

 

Loki never relaxed his hand, his whole body tense. “How did you survive?”

 

Tony pushed off the wall, his hands shoved in his pockets. “After you so kindly shot me a fisherman pulled me up. I was half dead no thanks to you.”

 

Loki glanced down at the light in Tony’s chest. “I didn’t ask who saved you I asked how you survived.”

 

Tony’s smile faded into a serious stare. “The better question is what are you doing with a sex slave in your apartment?”

 

Loki snarled. “Why? Here to take her back? Is that you’re business now? Weapons not making you enough money?”

 

“So she’s not yours then?” Tony eyed Loki, ready for anything.

Loki stepped forward, his eyes dark and a predatory growl rumbled in his chest. “No but she is under my protection. You touch her and there won’t be anything left of you for a fisherman to save.”

 

“Loki I’m not here for her. I’m here to find out who is. My hands aren’t exactly clean but they will never be that dirty.” He looked up at Loki who was a good 6 inches taller than him with the most honest eyes he could muster. Loki had changed, he could see that but he couldn’t see into what. He had gained more muscle, his shoulders stood taller, his eyes were darker but….sad. He looked tired. If Tony had to guess, Loki never really walked away from that night on the boat. He was still there, fighting with himself.

 

Loki glared, hand dropping from his holstered gun. “Then leave. I can handle whatever comes into this town without the sore excuse of a human that is you.”

 

“Loki I’m not one for the whole teamwork thing either but we need each other on this. Whoever this is that’s running this thing is big. Big enough to have people in places they shouldn’t be.”

 

Loki turned and looked at Tony skeptically. “You’re saying the force is covering this up?”

 

Tony stepped forward, eyes locked with Loki’s “I’m saying you need to be careful who you tell what too. I’m guessing you had the same thought before. That’s why that girl in your apartment hasn’t been brought to the station yet.” Tony sighed when Loki didn’t respond. “Look. Whatever we had in the past aside you need me and I need you. We’ve both done terrible things but these girls? That girl” Tony pointed to the window in the building they were standing next to. “She doesn’t deserve to suffer because you can’t strap your dick on and get over your own pride.”

 

Loki glanced up at the window then back at Tony knowing he was right. “Who else is here with you?”


	6. Animals

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Loki looked up at the blond haired girl who had called his name with a frown. Harley was standing in the door way with a terrified look on her face, her arms wrapped around her waist and her eyes wide. His hands were bloody, his shirt was ripped and he could taste blood in his mouth. “Shit.”

Loki sat at his desk, his coffee growing cold next to him, his fingers tapping on the chair as he stared at the screen. He didn’t trust Tony and Tony didn’t trust him but he knew that the chances of stopping this ring was better if they worked together. He thought about who else was here with Tony. He said that Clint was in town as well. Loki didn't know Clint all too well but he knew the man was a hell of a shot. At some point he had to tell Thor but he didn’t know when that point was. He didn’t trust anyone in the force and as much as he hated to admit it, he didn’t trust Thor either. Loki looked over his shoulder when he heard the door creak open.

 

Thor walked in with a coffee in one hand and the other rubbing his face. He had been up all night on the phone trying to get details out of people for who knows what. He did his best to keep it hush in the town but as is custom with a small town hush doesn’t stay hush for long. The whole town was chattering at this point, asking questions, making gossip about who the girl was and where she came from.

 

“Tessa Vagnr.”

 

Thor looked up at Loki in confusion. “What?”

 

Loki continued to stare at the computer but leaned back, one arm hooked over the back of the chair. “Tessa Vagnr. Her name.”

 

Thor’s eyebrows raised in surprise. “You made a positive ID?” He walked over and placed one arm on the desk, leaning over Loki’s shoulder. “She’s so young….” His voice was sad.

 

Loki nodded. “17. Parents were off and on in jail since her birth. She was a ward of the state till she was 8. Foster parents turned her back in when she was 12. Went missing 2 years ago. State ruled it a cold case. They don’t spend much time trying to find someone no one cares about.”

 

Thor frowned. “So no one to notify?”

 

“No. I’ll notify the state so they can close the case. At best they will send in outside help but it’s doubtful. We are on our own with this one.” Loki took a sip of his coffee. “I’m running through records now to see who she was last in contact with. Maybe if she has an old cellphone we can get an idea of who she was friends with. I’ve already contacted the orphanage. They are expecting me there tomorrow morning to look over what was left of her stuff and talk to some people.”

 

“I’ll go with you. Where is this orphanage?” Thor stood back, taking a sip of his coffee eyeing Loki oddly. It was strange that Loki would take an interest in this case. Loki had a desire for puzzles which explained his knack for cases but this was odd. Loki never went too far out for a case and to have been so pro-active about this made Thor think Loki knew more than he let on. Was he involved in this and trying to cover it up? Or had he found something that would point back to someone close. He needed to keep a close eye on Loki.

 

Loki’s face was emotionless and he looked at Thor with a dead stare that was more familiar than any other gaze. “It’s in Upstate New York and someone needs to stay in case something else comes up. You and I both know Mills is useless.”

 

Thor stood his ground. “Then you stay. I’ll go talk to them.”

 

“Thor we are investigating the murder and rape of a 17 year old girl who was kidnapped 2 years ago. You really think you are the best person to lead this investigation?”

 

“I think with your past it will ease the town if I stay active on this with you. People don’t trust you Loki. The drugs, the sex, the murder. This isn’t new for you.”

 

Loki glared, his voice dripping with venom as he stood nose to nose with Thor. “I _never_ violated girls. I maimed, tortured and killed hundreds of peoplebut I never forced myself on a teenage girl.” His heart stung slightly and guilt made its way into the black hole that existed constantly. He knew that would pop up eventually and it was only a matter of time before people started pointing fingers at him. He turned swiftly, ripping his jacket off the back of the chair so fast the chair fell over. “but to you it’s all lies from a liar I suppose.” Loki pushed past Thor, making his way to the door.

 

Thor strode across the room in what seemed like 2 steps and before Loki could react his hands were on the collar of his shirt, pinning him against the wall. “I protect you! I defend you! I cover your back when the entire town wants you gone! You sneak around, hiding your drugs in motel rooms! You say one thing and then do another just as you always have for years! I’m DONE protecting you.” He pulled back and slammed him into the wall again, his face inches from Loki’s. “If I find you are in ANY way apart of this girls murder or are hiding anything from me I will lock you away for the rest of your fucking life. Do I make myself clear?” His eyes were dark, his whole body a mix of rage and pain of his words. Loki was his brother and he loved him with all his heart but he couldn’t let that cloud his judgment. If Loki was involved he would find out and would act accordingly.

 

Loki pushed back, his hands shoving at Thor’s chest roughly. “Get your fucking hands off me. You think I _owe_ you? You think I should be thanking you? You can’t spend your whole life holding the door open for someone and then get angry when they don’t thank you. Nobody asked you to hold the fucking door!” Loki screamed, shouting back and taking a step forward shoving Thor off completely.

 

Thor glared, his voice steady. “You didn’t exactly do a good job of holding it on your own!”

 

Loki’s fingers twitched and his whole body screamed shoot. Rage filled his veins and he fought every force in his body that was telling him to draw his gun and shoot Thor right between the eyes. “You think I need you? You think I ever need anything from you? You wouldn’t know working for something if it was spelled out for you. This fucking job was handed to you! Your degree was only because Odin paid off the school! You can do no wrong in anyone’s eyes! I don’t need a god damn thing from the golden boy! I was a pitty party that Odin couldn’t walk away from because there were too many eyes on him! Frigga was all I had and YOU let her die! Her death is on YOU!”

 

Thor growled, his blond hair falling in his face as he took a step towards Loki dangerously. “And who was it that shot her Loki? Who was it that was there looking for YOU? She died in YOUR place! She died protecting YOU!” He gripped Loki, slamming him into the wall which resulted in Loki taking a swing at his face, knocking him backwards. Thor stumbled backwards whipping the blood that dripped from the corner of his mouth away. “While you were off being a criminal we were trying to pick up the pieces. You couldn’t even come to her funeral. Were you too good for it or did you just not care enough to show your face?”

 

Loki’s fist moved so fast Thor didn’t see it coming till his body hit the floor. Loki followed him down, his fist slamming into Thor’s face over and over again. Thor’s arms flew up, gripping Loki’s chest and shoved him off, rolling over and his own fist slamming into his brother’s face. Loki’s eyes grew dark and he withdrew into his own mind. His body went on autopilot and he moved with sharp, swift movements. Thor was strong and when he actually clipped Loki he had a good force behind him but Loki was fast. His body was slim and Thor had a hard time keeping up with him. Thor didn’t have nearly the experience Loki had with fights and didn’t stand a chance. Loki thought about Frigga, how her death was his fault. He thought about Tony and the gang. He thought about how much he had lost and how much he had thrown away. All that rage that he had buried was let loose and there was nothing he could do to stop it.

The fight continued for what felt like hours, fists flying and blood covering the floor and only stopped when the room was filled with shouting. Loki felt arms wrap around his shoulders and a force pull him off of Thor. He felt another pair of arms around him and the force was stronger and he briefly knew in the back of his mind that the other officers were pulling him off. He felt himself come back when he heard a soft voice call his name. His eyes grew wide and he looked down at Thor. His face was bloody, nose broken, his lip split and there was a huge cut above his eyebrow.

 

Loki looked up at the blond haired girl who had called his name with a frown. Harley was standing in the door way with a terrified look on her face, her arms wrapped around her waist and her eyes wide. His hands were bloody, his shirt was ripped and he could taste blood in his mouth. “Shit.”

 

His eyes softened as best he could, trying to silently tell her to stay quite. He shoved the officers who were still holding onto him off and walked towards the door. He felt all eyes on him but he kept walking, ignoring them as he made his way past Harley “Come.”

 

Harley watched him, frozen as he walked out the door. She looked back at the room, blood on the floor, a chair broke, several holes in the wall, then at the man standing in the middle of it. He was built, about 6’2 with a handsome face. His nose was broke, he had a black eye and his lip bleeding badly. His long blond hair came to his shoulders. He looked at her with a realization and before he could speak, she bolted out the door after Loki.

 

 

Tony stood outside, leaning against his car with a frown. His face filled with worry when he saw the blood on Loki’s face and hands. “What the hell happened to you?”

 

Loki glared, he was still angry from the fight. “Why the fuck is she here Stark?”

 

Tony shrugged. “She wanted to see you.”

 

“Bullshit.” Loki took a step towards Tony and he backed up, hands in the hair. “I told her to stay at the apartment.”

 

“She got scared ok? She wanted to be near you. She doesn’t trust you but she knows you won’t hurt her so just let her feel safe!” Tony pleaded, trying to make Loki see that he wasn’t the monster he thought he was.

 

“We don’t know who in this town can be trusted! If they saw her outside…”

 

Tony interrupted. “They would panic. They would run back to their little hide out and give away their position.”

 

Loki shoved Tony against the car. “So we use her as bait?!?!”

 

“Yes.” Tony needed to make Loki calm down. The Loki Tony knew was cold, calm and emotionless. He had no lines, no remorse or guilt about what he did. This new Loki was a roller-coaster. He was wild, his emotions were nowhere near in check and he flew off the handle too easily. Tony didn’t know what had caused this shift in the man he used to love but whatever it was could prove to be a problem. Loki was downright terrifying when he locked his heart away. He was dangerous and everyone knew it. Tony remembered a time when Loki could walk into a bar and the whole place was set on edge just by his presence. He remembered meeting Loki for the first time. He remembered being scared shitless.

The Loki standing infront of him now was someone Tony never thought he would ever see. This Loki cared. This Loki felt remorse and regret for what he had done. This Loki wanted to protect. “Loki whatever happened to you since the last time I saw you has changed you. You are a wild fire. You try to shove people away but you can’t. Those walls you fought so hard to build up are crumbling down. You care about this town. I see how you look at these people. The only way to protect them is to take risks.”

 

Loki stood back, his head low and he stared at his hands. The very hands that were covered in his own brother’s blood. “Im going to Upstate NY. Tessa Vagner is our victim. She was kidnapped 2 years ago. I’m going to see if she had any friends that knew something.”

 

Tony stepped aside, letting Loki walk to his Trans Am. “You’re not a monster ya know.”

 

Loki stopped, looking back over his shoulder at Tony but didn’t say anything. He just gave a ghost of a sad smile then continued walking.

 

Tony heard Harley come running up behind him. Her footsteps were heavy and urgent. He turned and smiled at her. “hey kiddo. You ok?” her eyes were wild, filled with panic and he knew something was wrong. “hey….Harley?”

 

Harley looked up at Tony then at Loki as he was walking away. She couldn’t speak. Her heart pounding. She looked back at the station behind her, then at the car Loki was sitting in. What was the fight about? Was it about her? Did the blond man know? Did Loki know? Was it some kind of game?

 

Tony’s voice broke her panic. “You can trust him ya know. He’s rough around the edges but if you dig deep he’s got a loyal heart. Just stick with him ok?” Tony looked at Harley with honest eyes. She looked so scared and he didn’t know what spooked her. He looked back at the station, then at her and realization hit him like a ton of bricks. His theory was right. She had recognized someone. But who? He looked down at her and spoke. “He’s going to talk to Tessa’s family.”

 

Harley looked at him defensively. “How do you know her name?”

 

“Missing persons data base turned up a positive ID. She was last seen in Upstate NY.” Tony didn’t have to tell her that’s where Loki was going. She was smart enough to know that.

 

Harley clenched her fists, swallowed her fear and bolted after Loki who was just starting his car leaving Tony alone on the sidewalk. Her legs moved swiftly and soon she found herself standing by the passenger door of his car, silently begging him to unlock the door. He looked at her with slight confusion. The car clicked, and she pulled the door open, sliding in and slammed it shut. “I’m going with you.”

 

Loki looked over at her, his eyes unreadable and he stayed silent as the car was started. She was a brave one, he gave her that. It was only a few days ago that he had found her chained in a shed, beaten and raped. Just now she saw him beating the shit out of his brother and still wanted to be in a car with him. He was just as dangerous, if not more so, than any man that would have entered that shed and here she was, sitting right next to him. He could take her anywhere, do anything to her and she couldn’t stop him.

 

So far, Loki hadn’t said a word and she was begining to wonder if he was mad at her for leaving the flat. Something about him drew her in. Maybe she had that Stockholm syndrome she had heard about. Her thoughts ran a thousand miles a miniute. Should she tell him about the blond man? What would he do? It was clear he knew the man but she didn’t know how or who he was. She knew Loki was dangerous. Maybe dangerous than anyone she had ever encountered. Those scars on his body were enough to make anybody think twice before picking a fight. The wild look in his eyes was that of an animal. Watching him fight, he looked like he could have killed that man. He looked like he wanted to. In that moment she was scared of him but there was an odd ping of worry too. That confused her more than anything else.

 

She didn’t know how long they had been driving or where they were going but the silence was killing her. Reaching her hand over to the stereo, she turned the knob, buzzes and muffled voices coming though until she found something she liked. She had pushed the fight into the back of her mind for now, deciding to keep quiet and tell Loki later. Soft acoustic guitars came though and she sat back, smiling. She looked out the window at the passing trees. How she had missed the world. She had been locked up for so long, she forgot what the world looked like from the passenger seat of a car. It was oddly calming as she mouthed the words to the song.

 

I've been a teacher and a student of hurt  
I've kept my word for whatever that's worth  
Never been last, but I've never been first  
No I may not be the best, but I'm far from the worst

 

Oh I've seen trouble more than any man should bear  
But I've seen enough joy, I've had more than my share  
And I'm still not done, I'm only halfway there  
I'm a million miles ahead of where I'm from  
But there's still another million miles to come

 

 

She tapped her finger to the rhythm on her knee, resting her head on the window. She had always loved Avicii but this was one of her favorites. The words never really hit home until now. Now they meant something to her.

  
The radio was turned down and Harley frowned, looking over at Loki. There was silence for a moment then he spoke. His voice smooth but soft. Distant almost. “You’re not afraid.”

Loki’s eyes stayed on the road. Clouds growing dark in the sky. It would rain soon.

 

“What?”

 

Loki glanced at her, then back at the road. “You’re not afraid of me.”

 

Harley paused, looking back out the window. She thought about her words carefully and her heart beating wildly. She wanted to say yes. She wanted to say she was terrified. Not just of him. Of everyone. She wanted to say that every time someone spoke she flinched, every time someone looked at her she wanted to run away. She wanted to tell him how broken she really was and that it wasn’t his fault. She didn’t though. She just sighed. “Why would I be?”

 

Loki looked over at her, taking note of how tense her body was, how she wouldn’t look at him, how her hands were in a tight ball and her knees angled towards the door. “You know why.”

 

Harley frowned. “Sometimes the safest place is by the dangerest man. My brother told me that.”

 

"You have a brother?”

 

“Had….he uh…he died. Couple years ago. Drug deal gone bad. He was a biggest stick keeps the peace kinda guy. Guess he didn’t have the biggest stick.”

 

There was silence before Loki asked the looming question. “How did you end up in that shed?”

 

Harley closed her eyes, hands shaking. “No.”

 

“Harley I need to know.”

 

“No. I can’t….I….” She started to hypervenalate, the car suddenly feeling really small. She tried to breathe, her heart felt like someone was ripping it from her chest, her stomach churning, her head pounding. She was having a panic attack. She closed her eyes, focused on her breathing counting from 1 to 10 then from 10 to 1. When she opened her eyes, she realized the car had stopped. Her eyes got wide and she looked over at Loki, confused. He was leaning back in his seat, torso turned slightly and his eyes watching her. She couldn’t read his face but if she had to guess, she would have thought he was studding her. “When….When did we stop?”

 

“Couple minutes ago.” His voice was smooth and calm.

 

She lowered her head in shame, hands playing with the hem of her shirt. “Sorry…”

 

He eyed her for a moment, looking her up and down. She put on a brave face but she was traumatized. Her body tense, legs crossed, torso facing away from him. It was a classic subconscious defense posture. He sighed. “You need to tell me. It will help.” He hated listening to other people’s problems. He never cared what was going on with others, mostly because he never saw the point. People had problems. The way he saw it, you suck it up and deal with it or you wallow in self-pity. Of the few girlfriends he had, he didn’t keep them very long because they always had problems. They always wanted to bitch about how bad their life was, like their life was the worst of all.

 

“You don’t want to hear.”

 

Loki raised an eyebrow. “No. But I need to.”

 

Harley nodded. She was no idiot. Loki wasn’t the type to hug you and tell you it will all be ok. He wasn’t the type to listen to the problem of others because he wasn’t the type to care. She took a shaky breath then started her story. “My brother…he was my guardian. My parents died when I was young, a car accident or something. I don’t really know. Mikey never talked about it and I never asked. We lived in their home, Mikey did the best he could with me but raising your sister at 17 years old is not the easiest thing. He got deep into drugs and…when Mikey died, I was taken to an orphanage. I was 14. Nobody wants a 14 year old girl who’s brother was a druggie. That just reeks of fucked up. 2 years later this….this foster family came in and took me. I thought…I thought I finally made it.” Harley let out a shaky sigh, tears flowing from her cheeks. She sniffed and rubbed her nose on her sleeve. “things were great ya know? Family dinners…birthdays, holidays and vacations. It was perfect. One night…one night Brad, my ‘father’ came in and he….” Harley sobbed, burrowing her face in her hands. “He used me. Said I was the perfect product. I woke up the next day in a basement and that’s when everything started.”

 

Loki sat silently and listened to Harley speaking. He had seen monsters, he had been a monster, hell he _was_ a monster but this was a level he would never reach. He put his hand on Harley’s knee and she flinched but he held his ground. His voice low and dark, his eyes cold but protective as he looked at her. “They have no idea what’s coming for them.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry its taken so long to get a chapter up. Hope ya'll are still with me!   
> The song she sings in the car is Trouble by Avicii if anyone is wondering.


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